I just got my new Suunto Ambit - the new Suunto GPS watch. It have an altimeter with a big display but like all other Suunto altimeter watches the altimeter refresh rate is once every second, which is too slow for free fall (the watch have a 200-500 feet dealay, compering with VISO)... BUT - the watch frame ware get update one in a while, I believe it is possible to speed up the altimeter refresh rate so I emailed a request to Suunto software developers. I think that they will not do it for one request but if they will get 200 requests..... So please help us to get a real skydiving watch and send a request for faster refresh rate to: ambit@suunto.com

Hi guys, Short update: we do have a chance :) I got reply from Suunto and they might do it, All we need now is to build up a market, I'm pretty sure that Suunto will do it if they will get enough requests to speed up the altimeter refresh rate. So go ahead guys and send Suunto emails.

Here is my correspondence with SuuntoAmbit customize options

gilead izak May 4 (5 days ago)

to ambit Hello, I do love my Ambit but is an improvements idea:

I would love to have an option to speed up the altimeter refresh rate so it will be more accurate on skydiving, I'm talking about every 1/10 of a second.

Thanks Gilead

From: ambit@suunto.com May 8 (1 day ago)

to me Dear Gilead,

Thank you for your feedback! This will be taken into consideration when we plan the next software updates.

if they were to do this, I hope they would have it as a mode you could turn on/off.. battery life will probably be seriously effected leaving it on full-time.

The bettery is rechargeable :)

Not on the airplane or in freefall.

It's not that the battery can go dead, but rather WHEN the battery can go dead.

It have a battery indicator :)

Scenario:

On your previous jump with your gee-whiz altimeter watch the low battery indicator came on. You want to make one more jump before sunset. Do you: 1) Ignore the low battery warning and go ahead and make another jump hoping that the altimeter watch will still work properly, or; 2) Stand down and NOT make that last jump you wanted.

if they were to do this, I hope they would have it as a mode you could turn on/off.. battery life will probably be seriously effected leaving it on full-time.

The bettery is rechargeable :)

Not on the airplane or in freefall.

It's not that the battery can go dead, but rather WHEN the battery can go dead.

It have a battery indicator :)

Scenario:

On your previous jump with your gee-whiz altimeter watch the low battery indicator came on. You want to make one more jump before sunset. Do you: 1) Ignore the low battery warning and go ahead and make another jump hoping that the altimeter watch will still work properly, or; 2) Stand down and NOT make that last jump you wanted.

What is your decision?

Since I've seen a jumper go up for a nightjump with a low batt warning, I know the answer to that one

(3 seconds of freefall with an alti, the rest of your nightjump without, you're braver than me)

if they were to do this, I hope they would have it as a mode you could turn on/off.. battery life will probably be seriously effected leaving it on full-time.

The bettery is rechargeable :)

Not on the airplane or in freefall.

It's not that the battery can go dead, but rather WHEN the battery can go dead.

It have a battery indicator :)

Scenario:

On your previous jump with your gee-whiz altimeter watch the low battery indicator came on. You want to make one more jump before sunset. Do you: 1) Ignore the low battery warning and go ahead and make another jump hoping that the altimeter watch will still work properly, or; 2) Stand down and NOT make that last jump you wanted.

What is your decision?

Come on.... so you are against all digital altimeters...??? It is just like the VISO or NEPTUN from the battery aspect. If you are stupid you will wait until the low battery warning is flashing and then you have to choose... be even more stupid and jump with it or miss a jump.... unlike the VISO, you do not need to replace the battery, if you see that the indicator shows less then 50% on Thursday - charge it and you are happy for the next 2 weeks.

P.S my answer to your question: I'm running to my gear bag and grab my old analog alti, never sold it

Come on.... so you are against all digital altimeters...??? It is just like the VISO or NEPTUN from the battery aspect.

Nope, but there are aspects about them of which jumpers need to be aware. I'm just providing that warning so no one charges off and does something without thinking about it first. Informed and educated purchase decisions are better than purchases made simply because something is "cool".

Another example: a new jumper a few weeks ago noticed after take-off that their digital altimeter was not displaying altitude, but instead was on some kind of timer function, counting upwards in seconds: 1...2...3... and so on. They didn't know how to turn that function off and get it back to altitude.

Know thy gear - read the owner's manual, and play with all the functions on the ground, so that you know how to use it in the air!

Does anyone have a photo of what it looks like when the GPS and altimeter are shown at the same time?

Or for that matter, if anyone has a better suggestion for a combined GPS/altimeter. I'm using my Suunto Vector for altimeter today and having a GPS in my pocket for the not-so-good weather conditions. Prefer not to have two separate units considering information overload when doing handcam tandems.